For a greater cause
by Commander Casey Shepard
Summary: Casey has lived a scarred life. Her parents had to constantly move because of her long dead (Great x 10)grandfather, Commander Shepard. She now stands as the notorious N7, a name she thinks she does not deserve. Her tale tells of friendship, loyalty, loss, but most of all, love. Rated T for violence, swearing and a bit of romantical crap (no sex though. Sorry to burst your bubble!)
1. Prologue

For a greater cause

Prologue

A red, literally red haired twenty seven year old with a battle scarred face (and past) stood before the Council, her red eyes glazed in misery and anger.

"Shepard," a Council member began. "Such a lucky last name, eh? Not for you, obviously. Another colony was lost, and the blood is on your hands, not ours." He stated, an inquiring look upon his face.

"I tried," Shepard said desperately. "You all know how the Reapers are. "Uncaring, relentless and bastards!" she said, her voice shaken, almost broken, it seemed.

"You would have done well as a lawyer," another Council member said, an edge of snappiness in his tone. Shepard resisted the urge to send a snide comment flying right back at him. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the door behind her flew open and a man stood in the threshold, winded.

"Freedoms Reign is under attack by Reapers!" he exclaimed, and Shepard recognized him right away. He was the second in charge of her team, Alex Williams, and he was annoying. That was for sure! She shook her head as she thought about the shun she would get if she offered her help. She had already gone through that before, her first failed mission, many years ago… she wouldn't dwell on the past, though, so she pushed the memory aside and turned back to Williams. Just then, one of the Council members spoke up.

"Shepard, you are to go with Williams to Freedoms Reign and-" the older man was cut off by Williams himself.

"You are Shepard?! As in like, Commander Shepard?! WORLD SAVER SHEPARD?!" Williams exclaimed.

"No time for that, soldier." Shepard replied, though she knew if she wasn't so emotionally scarred she would blush. But, after all, life with Casey Shepard was never EVER easy. Fame overruled leadership time and time again, making it so her leadership abilities were questioned. But that never discouraged her, she kept pressing on. And now, she was going to avenge Jocelyn, her best friend. Friends have been lost in the process of defeating the Reapers again, because revenge is a bitch and she won't let the Reapers get away from her wraith. But, she must focus on Freedoms Reign and how she can help it ********************not***************** be destroyed….. She nodded at the Council and dragged Williams out of the room. "Damn you! I was given permission to beat you, and I will for hell sakes!" Shepard snapped, wanting to yell at him until her lungs burst, but on a main planet. She stalked off towards her room and found her helmet, which she had tossed on the floor in anguish. After putting it in the nook of her arm, she got ready. "/I need the Mass Relay seven to report to Normandy 2.0. Got it? Good./" She said, already waiting at her ship. She looked at it and sighed. Her relative of a long gone past had went through hell in the ship this one was based off of, and she knew her team would too.

"Commander Shepard, reporting for duty!" A voice sounded behind her. She turned and expected to see Jocelyn, but remembered her mission before. She saluted the others (JJ, Al and Missy, then Williams, who went by W at the time.) and sent Missy to get Labrinth, the flyer of their ship. As the two young women came back, Shepard knew there would be more than friends in this group. A close knit family always stays together. Her heart swelled with pride when she saw her team scores in training. But the thing that got her most was saving families from the damned Reapers. But she was only scared for one thing. What will happen if another teammate is lost…?


	2. Chapter 1: The beginning war

Chapter One: The beginning war

Shepard looked to her left and signaled for them to move out. She had been keeping watch for Husks and such, and so far there had been nothing spotted. Much to their demise. If the enemies were in hiding, that means that they are further ahead, traveling in a larger pack-type formation. And if they were in larger formations, that meant more hell for Mass Relay 7 (MR7) to go through, just to get to Freedoms Reign. But Shepard was more focused on getting in and out, saving as many people as her and MR7 could. Her job was never easy, seeing all these poor people killed by the Reapers. But ever since Cerberus had started back up, it had become harder. All the races were fighting against each other and it was no longer safe to go out alone unless you wanted death to come easily to you. All of the other races had taken their weapons back at the price of ages; the casualties were high. But, of course, the humans fought back just to lose more and more, until there was barely anything left. Only MR7 could understand this. By the time they reached the first checkpoint, there were Husks and a few Gas Bags. And as the small team messed with their guns, making sure they were in working order, they fought, which in turn attracted Husks. After finishing off the first wave, Shepard turned and gave her team a small lecture.

"And that," she pointed to a dead Husk. "Is what happens when you bitch about your problems."

MR7 was quiet the rest of the way to second checkpoint. But of course, when they reached the checkpoint, the team opened fire and were as loud as they were on their first mission when they lost their first teammate, Utah, though his real name was Gregory. Everybody missed the kid, and nobody could forget him. But now was not the time to mourn, no matter how much they all wanted to. It was years ago and those who dwell on the past never make it in life, because they never look forward, instead they looked back and never, ever made past the age of sixty. But id those who looked back looked forward, who knows where they would all get in life? This war was crazy and psychotic and there was no way to stop it, other than killing the Reapers…. The Reapers were back and worse now, though, hell-bent on revenge for their fallen ancestors. And that meant that they could have more technology, better technology.

"Guys!" Al shouted. "Scatter!" he finished just as a Reaper landed, sending him flying backwards, hitting a rock with a heart-stopping crunch. He was gone. Shepard knew that she was losing somebody on this mission, but she actually like Al, and now he was gone. Another person she was going to put in her book of reasons to kill a Reaper and that wouldn't change. Shepard ran forward and dodged Husk after Husk, killing most of them and leaving a few to die. She was now the girl everybody knew, bad-ass and pissed at this point. They all knew she had a crush on Al and now that he was gone, she would stop at nothing to avenge not only his death, but also Jocelyn's. These alien bastards were, in other words, fucked. Even Williams was scared, and he was the second most brave, Shepard the most brave of them all. She had always been the natural leader of the group, born to a long line of determined soldiers, all attempting to follow in the footsteps of Commander Shepard. But now, Casey Shepard was here and nobody or nothing could win the race constantly ran against her. And she was the hope for the universe and she could very well have been borne straight from John Shepard is needed, but fate put them into different places on the timeline of this section of the galaxy and she was bent to prove that she was worth every moment she spent on any planet. She had always been trying to prove herself to the Council but they never saw her point of view on things that could very well kill every single Reaper ever known to exist. The krogans were also fighting the Reapers quickly spreading across the colonization, and a few varren snapped at their larger opponents. It was a quite interesting scene, indeed. The smaller creatures numbers were dwindling, though a few had been following Shepard around like puppies. As she offed a few Husks, Shepard lost the very few varren but one, who seemed interested in her. She signaled for the rest of her team to follow her as she went towards what looked like a small city that could contain a few survivors. But just as they reached the small civilization, a red beam flashed over their heads and the sound of a Reaper sounded. Any survivors that had been there had either been left behind somewhere else or killed, either way dead. Shepard's heart sank, realizing not only had millions of people had died, but also that the Council- no the Council would shun her once again, and she could be discharged and feel the pain of a million spirits following her. She would go insane and die in a white room, only seeing an asari every now and then. Now that the thought had crossed her mind, she wanted no more than to save whatever- whoever she could in this barren, almost waste-land like planet. She told them the plan.

"Okay, so lets go ahead and skirt around," Shepard explained. "We'll split up, but keep your com. links on. If there is any trouble, we'll need help, even you." She finished, pointing to Williams.

They all nodded and said their farewells as they left, and Shepard went the complete opposite direction of them. She went straight to the middle of the town, submerged in debris and dead bodies. After about an hour of searching, she found a small girl. She remembered her time as a little girl, being almost terminated by the Reapers, and now this little girl was hiding from them, as she did as a little girl. She took her helmet off and gave the little girl a friendly smile, asking for her name.

"I am Casey Shepard. What's your name, little cutie?"

"My name is Alyssia Gip," the little girl, now identified as Alyssia said in an innocent voice, filled with fear and anxiety.

"/Guys, small child. Rendezvous in the wreckage of the town square./" she said through her com. links as she offered a hand to Alyssia with an even bigger smile. Alyssia took her hand graciously as if it comforted her to be in the presence of another human being. As the unlikely pair reached the middle, they greeted the team of three, joined by their headstrong leader. Alyssia tugged at Shepard's hand.

"Why are your eyes red?" she asked and Shepard smiled again.

"Because my daddy's were," she replied, winking at her as she looked at Williams in confusion. She had to be no more than five, no longer understanding what was going on in the place she called home. Shepard felt a pang of sympathy for her, and she had no control over her emotions at the time. Her life was just as confusing as Alyssia's, but she would give this cutie the whole krogan home world if she could, if it wasn't so… destroyed… Shepard shook her head to clear the though t of Alyssia on the krogans desolate planet. But… anything for this poor five year old to be safe…

"JJ, Missy, W, meet Alyssia. Alyssia, these are my friends, JJ, Missy and W." Shepard explained, pointing to her friends. Alyssia decided she liked Missy and ran to her, hugging her tightly. Missy's face, set to a permanent scowl, turned into a smile as she picked the small child up.

"Hey there!" she said cheerfully, a whole lot of happiness in her voice.

"WILLIAMS!" Shepard gasped and threw Williams to the side, taking a hit from a Husk. She groaned and dropped to the ground. She could hear her heart beating in her ears. And she could only imagine…. How does the pain itself not kill people?

….

Williams sat in front of Shepard's hospital room, stress coursing through him. If he had just taken the blow from the husk, he wouldn't have to worry about _her_. He would be in the room she was in, dying instead. But no, she just had to be so damn heroic. His expression remained stoic as he listened to the electric cardio-vascular device, the newer, improved version that had come out only a few months ago. It was mandatory for all hospitals to have it, considering the death rate in the Reaper/inter-planetary war. He sighed and straightened when he heard a flat lining machine. She was gone. She was _dead._


	3. Chapter 2: Human Contact

Chapter two: Human contact

Shepard awoke and her vision was blurry and all she could hear was ringing. She groaned as her vision cleared, and realized that there were two blur-like figures near her. Hopefully, she asked.

"L-Labrinth…?" All she heard were two surprised gasps and felt her bed shift. Wait… her bed? This one was way to firm. As her vision battled between blurry and clear, she looked around the room. It was a hospital room and she gasped her own gasp as she remembered vividly what happened. But why were they so surprised she was awake?

"Case?" Williams voice sounded near her. "You- you're alive!"

"What do you mean, Alex?" Shepard struggled into a sitting position and her vision swam, and her head had fresh waves of pain. Williams explained that she was pronounced dead a few days earlier after her cardio-vascular device flat lined. He then explained that she even had a funeral tomorrow and she let out a sigh of anger mixed with sadness.

"I never meant to cause all this damn grief," Shepard said sadly. "Now I'll probably be discharged."

"Well," Labrinth started, but Williams interrupted her. "We'll have to talk to the Citadel."

Shepard shook her head, causing a fresh wave to strike her head. An alarmed look crossed her face. She was to be the savior of them all, and she had caused a death scare? _Geez, Casey. Get a hold of yourself! _ She scolded herself while Williams took her hand softly. She pulled away immediately. Human contact was not something she wanted, especially from the man whom she hated most. He was obviously hurt; she could tell by the look in his eyes.

"I was just trying to comfort you. You found out that you were dead for three days and now you are somehow alive. You need comfort," came Williams excuse. She had to admit; he was right. After being dead for three days and then mysteriously coming back to life. What was she, a product of the Reapers? She rolled her eyes and looked straight at him.

…

"I'm sorry. I'm just… not used to it…" Shepard admitted. "The only person I allowed to touch me was Jocelyn… and… Jocelyn is no more." Williams nodded, even though the love he felt for her was terribly hard to hide. She hated him, yes, but he loved her to the ends of the earth and back. No matter what, his heart belonged to her ever since her deep penetrating red eyes had met his; the day she discovered she hated him. Williams knew she would never return his love. But he would die happy, knowing that she was safe. That was all he cared about… at the time.

…

Shepard faced the nine Citadel members, Labrinth and Williams close by.

"Casey Shepard," an asari said. "You are to be dead. What happened? You can speak with us." She continued, smiling gently to represent no fear.

"I am not sure, ma'am. I just… woke up. Though… I had a mysterious dream…" Shepard replied. As she told them of the dream, in which she had sacrificed herself and the Reapers carried on with the cycle, respect filled the asari's eyes.

"I see. And was this the first?" she asked seriously.

"Yes," Shepard replied honestly.

"Well," the asari turned to her friends. "I believe a suitable punishment would be to admit that she has been resurrected." She was answered with a scoff from the representative of the human race.

"I'll do it," Shepard said with a newfound confidence. "It's only fair."

The Citadel members talked for a moment before deciding to agree with the asari. "You may go." The human representative announced. "You must visit the krogans first."

….

After telling all the krogan her story, Shepard felt like she was going to explode. The new home world for the krogan was dry and the sun scorched the earth, making the air thick with heat. What she would do for a bottle of water! It was so desolate! She walked out of the town circle and faced her two teammates.

"The krogan leader, Tangle, has offered us dinner. Who would like to go?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at Labrinth who had started dancing. Then she realized that she could hear a faint sound of the newest dubstep song, Premium by the Breaks. She shook her head and turned to Williams. "Do you?"

"Uhh, sure! Why not? As long as it's not varren soup." Williams replied shrugging. Shepard smiled and turned around to face Tangle.

"We humbly accept your offer," she said with a little smile. Tangle nodded and beckoned for them to follow him as he walked off. Shepard grabbed Labrinth by the wrist and pulled her along, but not without a fuss. After about ten minutes of walking through winding hallways they reached a mess hall type room and the smell of delicacies circled the team. Shepard breathed in and smiled. The food smelled amazing.

….

"I am STUFFED!" Labrinth announced. "I ate so much I think I am going to gain four thousand pounds," she joked, punching Shepard in the shoulder when she gave the younger woman a questioning glance.

"So," Shepard said awkwardly. "Williams! Let's go talk." She finished as she glared at him and stood up. He also stood up and she stalked off towards the entrance of the room, Williams on her on heels. When he stood in front of her, she snapped. "What is wrong with you? You embarrassed me in front of TANGLE! Duh! How could you?!" she was infuriated.

"I- How?" Williams was speechless.

"You kept looking at me like we had sex or something!"

"I- Gash! I am sorry, okay! I just… I just love you." Williams confessed with a sigh.

"Whap….?" Shepard asked, both confused but something deep inside of her stirred. Did she have deep-seeding emotions for him? All she knew is she was frozen to the spot, her head spinning as he enveloped her in his strong arms.

"You okay?" Williams asked, sensing he sudden change of mood.

"I.. uh… I'm not sure. I just got the weirdest feeling in my stomach." Shepard admitted. Williams heart leaped.

"How does it feel?" he asked, hope creeping into his voice as he anticipated more, one of his worst habits.

"It feels… magical." She replied, burying her head in his chest as she realized that the hatred she felt was her hearts way to cover up her real feelings. She burst into tears, remembering her mother and father who had not made it past the beginning of the Reaping. She was reminded of the two adults star-crossed tale, their magical tale. But that was _A Different Story_ to be told and she just wished that she could stop the tears from flowing. Williams hugged her slightly tighter and she had to admit that she felt comforted. With a sniffle, she looked up at him and he kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry I got mad. I am just… not me lately." It all made sense now. She had never got chills around Al and she definitely never felt the butterflies when their eyes met. Foolish girl, thinking she loved him when she just had to find somebody to help cover up her emotions. "Where is Alyssia?"

"She's safe," Williams murmured and Shepard felt his chest rumble when he spoke in his deep voice, which oddly comforted her. "The doctors took her and examined her wounds. She had just a cut on her foot, that's all." Shepard nodded and pulled away.

"Come on, lets go. They're probably wondering what is taking so long for us to get bac-"she was cut off by Williams pressing his lips against hers.

_I'm probably a terrible kisser,_ She thought sadly as she kissed him back, feeling energy flow into her drained body with a jolt of excitement. "Come on," she laughed, pushing him away softly. He just smiled at him lopsidedly and shoved her gingerly in front of him and she tried her best to not to smile as she set her face to the angry scowl she usually defined as hers; she sat down and Labrinth smiled.

"What happened?" she asked, punching Shepard in the arm in a friendly yet harsh way as Williams 'limped' back. Labrinth smiled evilly when he sat down, reaching over to wipe something away from above Williams top lip. "You had a bit of red lipstick there, buddy."

Shepard squirmed uncomfortably as she noticed that she herself was wearing red lipstick. She quickly shot a glance at Labrinth who was beaming with knowledge and she aimed a punch straight at Williams upper thigh, but not his manly area. "I punched you in the acorns," she said, using her nickname for that… place. He grunted in what sounded like pain as she screeched through her teeth. "I told you I would beat you! Labrinth, that was blood."

Labrinth was staring at Shepard wide eyed, and nodded vigorously. Shepard smiled in her head and knew that Labrinth was convinced that she still hated Williams.

…

"How's your foot?" Shepard asked Alyssia with a smile.

"It hurts," Alyssia replied but forced a smile of her own. "But I have a question for you. A real one too!" Shepard smiled wider as she nodded. "Do you like the man with the blonde hair and the blue eyes?"

Shepard smiled warmly. "I do."


End file.
